Galaxy Note 7 takes 'best smartphone display' crown, says DisplayMate

The Galaxy Note 7 packs in the best screen that you can buy right now. That’s the conclusion of DisplayMate, which is widely recognized for running the most comprehensive set of tests on the latest phones to determine how the display compares against competitors and previous models.

Ray Soneira, the president of DisplayMate, regularly runs the detailed tests on the top flagship phones. He heaps praise on the Note 7, arguing that even the name is a misnomer considering how far it pushes display performance ahead.

“Since the Note series generally leads in display technology, the Note 7 should really have been called the Note 8 so that its name will be in better sync with the future Galaxy S8,” Soneira said in his analysis.

In terms of details, Soniera says that the Note 7 is the brightest display ever (over 1,000 nits with automatic brightness mode enabled), and includes a very accurate wide color gamut DCI-P3 mode and support for HDR video. The screen reflectance is a mere 4.6 percent, close to the lowest he's measured. That, combined with the high contrast, bright display, and dual ambient light sensors on the front and back of the phone, should make the Note 7 one of the best phones ever for use in bright daylight conditions.

The report notes that the strong performance of Samsung’s OLED displays could be pushing Apple to switch the iPhone to this technology in 2017. It’s still a rumor at this point, but given how far the display quality has come there’s a decent chance that Apple is giving it a serious look. The biggest challenge is scale: Apple sells well over 200 million phones a year, and it may be tough to manufacture enough AMOLED displays of top-tier quality.

Why this matters: Samsung shows no signs of slowing down in how strong it performs with smartphone displays. Its latest flagship has regularly been the winner of DisplayMate’s crown. And lately it’s been making the best Android phone you can buy, as we’ve been happy to recommend Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.

The screen was particularly good. It is bright and visible from most angles, however heat is an issue, particularly around the Windows button on the front, and on the back where the battery housing is located.

My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.

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